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If you happened to cast a cursory glance at Chinese newspapers over the past few months, you might be forgiven for thinking there had been an outbreak of golf-itis.

Even in China Daily, the night editor has complained about the headlines teeing off and putting have been cropping up far too often. I didn't have the heart to tell him that a good shot is as pleasing as his own passion, a calligraphy stroke.

And a peek at the thousands of blogs would convince you it is a veritable golfing epidemic.

Here's the reported "truth" (a lot of newspapers have been more than economical with it; some just stuck to exaggeration):

A Shanghai school, reportedly the first in the country, recently introduced golf lessons for its students for 4,800 yuan (US$611) a term.

The Shanghai University of Finance and Economics has added golf to its physical-education curriculum.

The prestigious Peking University had to downsize its ambitions (according to media reports) of a magnificent course on the northeast coast of the Weiming Lake to a driving range and ultimately, to a 90-metre-long excuse for a driving range. In golf, you don't get far with that distance.

But it is Xiamen University that has come up with what, in golfing terms, is a hole in one. Its president promised that students majoring in management, law, economics and software engineering would be required to take a course in golf because "many Chinese business deals are clinched on the course."

The response was predictable.

How can a country with a per capita income of US$212 and undeveloped regions like Gansu, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang think of golf, thundered a worthy (who himself plays golf).

How indeed.

How can people in a country with a per capita income that barely allows them to foot the bill for two at a fancy French restaurant in any major Chinese city, play golf?

How can people in a country where New Year's Eve dinners can cost 8,888 yuan (US$1,132) per person, play golf?

How can a country where buying Maybachs (they cost a cool US$1 million each, give or take a few kuai) is not uncommon, play golf? Or yachts? Or private jets?

The problem is golf has an elitist image, especially in the developing world, which is difficult to shake off.

Could it be that developers in the developing world have a vested interest in keeping it so?

Take away the elitist element, it becomes just a boring egalitarian pursuit as it is in the developed world if you are more interested in the game than how prestigious the address is or how fancy the clubhouse.

In the United States, you could play a round for about US$20 on a public course. And even less in Australia. In New Zealand many years ago, I played (or valiantly attempted) a round at a course run by farmers near Christchurch for nothing.

In India, by no stretch of the imagination a developed country, a round would set you back no more than US$10 on a typical golf course, even for a non-member.

In China, it's at least US$100 (on average, on a not-too-posh course) for a weekday, and about half again (if you can afford to pay the US$65,000 membership, for instance, in Beijing) on the weekend.

The problem the game faces in the country apart from the albatross (that, by the way, is the best score on the course) of the negative image is scarce land.

Here's an earthy solution: Why not convert some of all that land being grabbed from farmers for dubious projects into golf courses?

Let farmers turn the land into a prime piece of property around which they can sell posh villas. A golf course is labour-intensive from tending the fairways and greens to providing caddying and other services and provides decent pay.

Sure, they need help. But what are the national or local sports administrations or golf associations for? Or the many golf consultants around the world?

Only then, when green fees are reasonable, when students or retirees get discounts, when I can play a round without busting the bank, can golf be enjoyed, not envied.

Mark Twain might have thought golf is a good walk spoiled. For G.K. Chesterton it was an expensive way to play marbles. But I share Robert Lynd's philosophy: It is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place this world is when one is playing golf.

(China Daily 11/29/2006 page4)